Klimt Gustav and The Rise of a New Succession?
Bri Lucero 21 April 2017
Klimt Gustav was born in Baumgarten, Austria in 1862 as the second of seven children. His father, a struggling gold engraver, and his two brothers were all artists who lived in poverty as immigrants along with his mother and four sisters.
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| Kunstgewerbeschule |
In 1876 Klimt Gustav entered the Art School of Vienna, Kunstgewerbeschule, where he studied architectural painting and practices traditional techniques of arts and crafts. Two years later his brother Ernest and some friends began working on commercial projects called "The Company of Artists," where they were commissioned to work on pieces such as the Burgtheater and on high ceilings.
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| Burgtheater Exterior |
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| Burgtheater Interior |
In 1892 Klimt's Father and his Brother Died and he had taken responsibility of the families financial hardship.
Through this period Klimt had met a Woman by the name of Emelie Flöge, a woman of mystery who he had gone on many vacations with where he began to paint landscapes. There are no accounts on these two having any sexual relations however, Klimt Gustav's only writings had been post cards to Emilie and it is said that he had fathered 14 children.
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| Emelie Flöge and Klimt Gustav |
1897, The Vienna Succession was founded and Klimt Gustav was commissioned to decorate the ceiling of the Great Hall in the University of Vienna with his paintings. Klimt created three pieces called Philosophy, Medicine, and Jurisprudence. They were all destroyed in 1945 by S.S. retreating forces. During this period of time Klimt Gustav began developing his own style in which he claimed grand prize in the 1900 World Fair in Paris.
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| Philosophy |
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| Medicine |
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| Jurisprudence |
Although the people of Paris were quite pleased of the elegance of his symbolism and the use of "Femme Fatale" in his artwork, the people of his home country in Austria saw these pieces as "pornographic" in nature. Klimt's style had transitioned from traditional to a style which rejects earlier naturalistic styles. In this new stage of his career, Klimt
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| Medicine close up |
attempted to convey psychological ideas which Emphasized the powerful idea of freedom. Klimt Gustav's participation in The Vienna Succession is seen through the ideas this movement had represented.
What was the Vienna Succession? And why was it important???
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The Kiss
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To be continued... :)
